There is an old country song that says, “Ain’t never had too much fun.” Well, I know that’s not true. Too much fun can lead to some pretty poor decisions. But what about too much joy? Too much kindness? Too much love?

That’s what got me thinking this morning.

In Galatians, St. Paul lists the fruits of the Holy Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Then he says something interesting: “Against such there is no law.”

Think about that. There is no limit to how much we can love, how generous we can be, or how much joy we can have in the Lord.

Then in the Gospel, Jesus corrects the Pharisees for being so concerned with following the Law while neglecting judgment and love for God. But something caught my attention. Jesus says, “These you should have done, without overlooking the others.”

He wasn’t telling them to quit following the Law. He was telling them not to forget what matters most.

That reminded me of yesterday’s reflection about checking boxes. The checkboxes aren’t bad, and neither is the Law. But there is so much more to living our faith.

And I know I need the Law. Left to myself, I can overindulge, gossip, lose my patience, and make plenty of poor choices. The Law helps keep me on the right path. But God wants more for me than simply avoiding what is wrong. He wants me to grow in love, joy, patience, kindness, and all the fruits of the Holy Spirit.

Psalm 1 reminds us that the person rooted in God bears fruit in season. Maybe that’s the connection. It’s not just about doing good things. It’s about allowing the Holy Spirit to guide how we do them.

So my prayer today is for the wisdom to recognize what really matters and the grace to let love, patience, and joy guide me in whatever I do.

Are you simply trying to avoid doing wrong, or are you allowing the Holy Spirit to help you grow in what is good?

I pray you get the graces you need today.

Keep up the good fight.

I’m praying for you. Please pray for me.

Scripture: Galatians 5:18–25 | Psalm 1:1–2, 3, 4 and 6 | Luke 11:42–46